Photo/Illutration Tokyo commuters head to work in late January. (Takuya Isayama)

The government on Feb. 10 eased its long-standing recommendations on mask wearing, approving new rules that will basically leave the decision up to each individual from March 13.

However, similar to measures that have been in place to prevent COVID-19, the government also issued a revised infection-prevention policy that could limit the situations in which individuals can take off their masks.

For one thing, railway companies and operators of bars and restaurants will still be allowed to ask employees as well as customers to wear masks.

The March 13 start to the new measure was set in part because government officials felt about a month would be needed for various business and medical organizations to revise their guidelines for preventing COVID-19.

Such organizations have put together about 200 separate guidelines designed to address issues that might arise for each sector.

For example, bars and restaurants that continue to require customers to wear masks would want to know how to deal with customers who insist that it's their right to decide on masking up. 

In its revised policy, the government also listed situations where it would be preferable if masks were worn to prevent the spread of infections.

Those situations are when individuals go to medical institutions for health problems, visited medical institutions and facilities for senior citizens where many elderly people at higher risk of developing serious symptoms are present or when commuting on crowded trains and buses.

Those with COVID-19 symptoms or who have tested positive are encouraged to refrain from outings and to wear masks if they had to leave their homes.

Those at risk of developing serious symptoms would also be asked to mask up when heading to crowded locations.

With the exception of graduation ceremonies scheduled for March, schools will implement the new mask policy from April 1 in line with the start of the new school year.

But the education ministry also urged schools not to force students who want to wear masks to remove them. 

Shigeru Omi, the chairman of the panel of experts advising the government on infection-prevention measures, said the thinking behind the new policy was basically that everyone should decide on donning a mask based on the risks they faced.

He added that the situations that constituted a higher risk that had been learned over the past three years remained unchanged.

(This article was written by Akiyoshi Abe and Kai Ichino.)

Related News